The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) Shares Sold by Osterweis Capital Management Inc.

Osterweis Capital Management Inc. lowered its holdings in shares of The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) by 16.2% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 159,688 shares of the company’s stock after selling 30,926 shares during the period. Hershey makes up 1.3% of Osterweis Capital Management Inc.’s holdings, making the stock its 28th largest position. Osterweis Capital Management Inc.’s holdings in Hershey were worth $27,043,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Montag & Caldwell LLC bought a new stake in Hershey during the fourth quarter worth approximately $25,000. Crowley Wealth Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Hershey in the 4th quarter worth $28,000. Grove Bank & Trust lifted its holdings in shares of Hershey by 248.0% in the fourth quarter. Grove Bank & Trust now owns 174 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 124 shares during the period. Vision Financial Markets LLC bought a new position in Hershey during the fourth quarter valued at about $29,000. Finally, Lee Danner & Bass Inc. acquired a new position in Hershey during the fourth quarter worth about $34,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 57.96% of the company’s stock.

Insider Transactions at Hershey

In other Hershey news, CAO Jennifer Mccalman sold 278 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $148.00, for a total value of $41,144.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now owns 2,682 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $396,936. The trade was a 9.39 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.28% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hershey Price Performance

HSY opened at $164.42 on Thursday. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $168.38 and a 200 day moving average price of $170.93. The company has a current ratio of 0.96, a quick ratio of 0.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68. The Hershey Company has a 1 year low of $140.13 and a 1 year high of $211.92. The stock has a market cap of $33.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.08, a PEG ratio of 5.90 and a beta of 0.28.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $2.69 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.40 by $0.29. Hershey had a return on equity of 44.77% and a net margin of 19.83%. Analysts forecast that The Hershey Company will post 6.12 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hershey Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 14th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 17th were paid a dividend of $1.37 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 14th. This represents a $5.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.33%. Hershey’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 50.28%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Citigroup reduced their price objective on shares of Hershey from $173.00 to $165.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on shares of Hershey from $171.00 to $151.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, January 16th. Morgan Stanley initiated coverage on Hershey in a report on Monday, March 24th. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $183.00 price target on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut their price objective on Hershey from $184.00 to $148.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, January 23rd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on Hershey from $125.00 to $132.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a report on Friday, March 14th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and sixteen have assigned a hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Hershey currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $163.05.

Hershey Company Profile

The Hershey Company, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the manufacture and sale of confectionery products and pantry items in the United States and internationally. The company operates through three segments: North America Confectionery, North America Salty Snacks, and International. It offers chocolate and non-chocolate confectionery products; gum and mint refreshment products, including mints, chewing gums, and bubble gums; protein bars; pantry items, such as baking ingredients, toppings, beverages, and sundae syrups; and snack items comprising spreads, bars, snack bites, mixes, popcorn, and pretzels.